History
1994
The coming out year for the club on its own ‘home
turf’ ... The team was ‘littered’ with tailors,
including club president Derek Alphonso who was one
of the town’s foremost clothing stylists and
creators ... Club members joined in making their own
competitions kits – choosing the colors gold and
black ... Templates were also created in-house to
manually paint team’s logo, numbers and names onto
gear.
This led to the club also designing and making
uniforms for other clubs in Guyana, including all
teams in the town, as well as the Guyana boys and
girls squads for the Inter-Guiana Games – an annual
multiple sports championships among junior players
from Guyana (British Guiana), Surinam (Dutch Guiana)
and French Guiana in South America.
1996
The club completed formal registration with the
governing basketball federation.
Entered first official tournament – a Division III
Championship ... Made the final of that
championship, but closely lost when a buzzer-beating
infringement resulted in converted free throws for
the opponents.
Promoted to Division II status … Again, made the
finals as a rookie team, and again lost, but this
time in a convincing manner.
Went to the Division I level ... The club did not
finish in the top-3 in its first championships at
this level ... However, no team completely dominated
the newcomers.
1997
In realizing it possessed outstanding Under-15 and
Under-17 players, the club lobbied for sponsorship
for competitions in which they can showcase their
talents outside of the more seniors-dominating
contests ... Won both championships.
Competed in another Division I championship, but
returns were averaged.
1998
First taste of major championship VICTORY. Became
Division I Champions by defeating ’mentor club’
Wismar Pistons in the LABA final ... Amazingly,
Royals out-rebounded and out-scored their much
taller opponents ... Local pundits of the sport
posited that the club ‘has arrived’ ...
Coincidentally, local basketball experienced an
upswing.
The club won the second successive liens on U-15 and
U-17 championships.
1999
Club founder and coach Linden ‘Sancho’ Alphonso
migrates to the USA ... In farewell message, he
admonishes the club to ‘stick together’ even in the
face of adversities, such as losing games ... Also
commits to supporting the club from overseas, in any
way possible.
Kester Jeffrey became the new coach for the club.
The club was selected as opponents for the National
Under-19 squad during training for international
engagements ... Won and lost in home and away games.
Simultaneous to its successes, external forces were
rumoring the demise of the club, mainly as a sign of
the departure of its founder ... The club’s
subsequent PR efforts reversed these adversarial
impressions.
2000
Due to the club being taken through the rumor mill
in the previous year, much effort is concentrated on
sanitizing its image within and external to its
ranks ... Membership structure rebuilding was a main
activity.
Competitions were entered, in order to promote the
club’s continued existence, but successes were
meager.
2001
Club founder Linden ‘Sancho’ Alphonso returned and
led a renaissance by the membership in returning to
and upholding the true virtues under which the club
was initially established – pride, passion and
purpose as players and officials.
A major influx of female members gave the club a
wider appeal and growing respect.
Expanded to play in national level competitions, as
a result of being one of the top teams in the
sub-association.





